Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



.|-. DUVAL.

Breach-Loading Fire-Arms. No. 145,494. y

Patented De.16,1873. i

3 Sheets--Sheet 2. I. DUVAL.

Breach-Loading Fire-Ar,ms. No. 145,494. Patemed Dec.16,187s.

UNrTED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH DUVAL, OF PARISH OF ST. JOSEPH, ASSIGNOR TO LINUS ORTON THAYER,OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,494, dated December16, 1873; application iiled December 5, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH DUVAL, of the parish of St. Joseph, in thecounty of Laprairie, district of Montreal and Province of Quebec,Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements onBreech-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operationof the same.

My invention relates to improvements in breech-loading fire-arms; andconsists in the details of construction particularly hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference beinghad to theannexed drawings, in which similarletters ofreference indicate like parts, Figure 1 represents a central sectionalelevation of my improved fire-arm, in the position assumed when thecartridge is thrown out. Fig. 2 represents a part section and partelevation, showing the position of parts when ready for loading. Figs. 3to 15, inclusive, show details of the various parts, as will behereinafter more particularly referred to.

Letter a is the barrel, of any ordinary construction, either screwedinto the shell b or made in one with it, the latter of which I prefer.cis the stock, to which the shell is secured preferably by a bolt, d, orin. any ordinary and suitable manner. e is the breechblock. (Shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and in detail in 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, where Fig. 3 is asectional .elevation, 4 a plan of top side, 5 a plan of under side, 6 aview of front end, and 7 a view of rear end.) This is pivoted to theshell, as shown in the drawings, at f, where two small pivots enter,passing through the shell into corresponding recesses g. h is a recesscut in its upper side for the sight. t' are two prol)ections formed onits lower side, and k are recesses intervening between each of theseprojections and the body of the block, in which work the ends l of thelever m. a is a recess cut in the under side of the breech-block e, ofthe conguration shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 5, forming the groovein which the needle o (shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9).

moves back and forth. o is a frame, for the details of which see Fig.12, showing a side elevation, and Fig. 13 a top plan. This is pivoted tothe shell b, at s, at the front end, and

at the rear end secured by a pin, t, passing completely through. u is apivot passing through one side of r, and entering into the other. Uponthis the lever m works, as also the tumbler c; this latter is shown indetail in Figs. 10 and l1. w are projections formed within the shell tostrengthen it at the point where the pivot x passes and attaches to itthe trigger y. (Shown more particularly in Figs. 14 and 15.) rIhis worksin the opening z. l a is a recess for receiving the large end of thespring b. (Shown in Fig. 7.) c is a groove which receives one end of theV-spring d. Figs. 10 and 11, respectively, side and front views of thetumbler; this is also shown in position with other parts in Figs. 1 and2. c are projections on either side; these may be formed in one piecewith c, or by drilling a hole and driving a pin firmly therein. f is aslot eX- tending into its upper end, forming the same into a double eye,which receives the end of the needle o, g being the pivot attaching itthereto. h is the notch upon it for the end of the trigger y to catchupon, while t" is the part upon which one of the ends of the V- springcl acts. Figs. 8 and 9 show, respectively, side elevation and bottomplan of the needle o; this requires no further verbal description. Figs.14 and 15 show, respectively, side and front views of the trigger y,-this is in its extension below the frame r, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. kis a recess for receiving the small end of the spring b. l is the endthat acts upon the notch h ofthe tumbler. Figs. l and 2 represent sideand front views of the forked ends lof the lever. m.' m are recesses toreceive theproj ections e of the tumbler yv. (Shown in Fig. 2.) yTheother end of the lever is so clearly shown in the general gures as torequire no further description, except to say that a springcatch, n', isprovided for it to engage with, as sh own in Fig. 1. In thetrigger-guard o is formed a recess to receive thespring-bolt p. Q is apivot passing through the shell b,- on this the extractor 1" rotates,working in recesses s2. (Shown in Fig. 1.) The projections sl are forcatching the rim of the cartridge, while t are extensions upon which thebreechblock acts in descending. The V-spring d is clearly shown inFig. 1. Here it is represented with the end inserted in the groove c',and is of considerably greater width than the end acting upon i, Fig.10. This end is made sufciently narrow at or near its extremity to enterinto the space between the forks l l, in which space also the tumbleryr, Figs. 10 and 11, is situated.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The various partshereinbefore described being arranged in their respective positions, andpresuming that the arm is in the position in which it will be afterdischarge, by placing the thumb in the lower loop of the lever m, it issharply depressed, causing its forked ends l to simultaneously act onthe projections z' of the breech-block, causing it to descend to theposition shown in Fig. 1, and also to draw back the tumbler c and needleo, in doing which the breech-block strikes sharply the extensions t ofthe extractor, causing it to assume the position shown in Fig. 1, andthus throw out the exploded cartridge. The hand is then removed from thelever m to insert a new cartridge. As soon as the pressure is taken awayfrom the lever, the spring d forces the tumbler, lever, and other partsto the position shown in Fig. 2, the forked ends Zslightly raising thebreech-block to the proper position to guide in the new cartridge. Thisposition is, however, only a yielding one, for, by pressing down thebreech-block by force applied to its forward extremity, the parts may beagain caused to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 without touching thelever m. This yielding of the forward end of the breech-block allows thecartridge to be put in place, while, when it is so situated, theposition of the breechblock, as shown in Fig. 2, prevents it. fromfalling out, the breech-block having' been slightly depressed after thecartridge has entered into the barrel and while getting it fairly home.

Here it will be remarked that the notch h remains in the position asshown in Fig. 2 1'. 0., resting on the end l of the trigger y, but inFig. 1 raised a little above it.

The lever m is now closed up by the hand being placed on the arm tograsp it for firing, engaging its extremity with the catch n', andthrows forward the ends l, thereby raising the breech-block to positionand closes the breech.

If, now, the finger is placed on the lower end of the trigger y, drawingit back, and consequently the upper end l forward, h is therebydisengaged from it, the spring d', acting on v, shoots forward theneedle o into the central fire of the cartridge, and explodes it.

To reload the arm, the parts are again brought to the position shown inFig. 1, as hereinbefore described. To prevent the trigger from beingoperated, the bolt p is pushed back from the position shown in Fig. 1.

In case the arm requires cleaning, it is only necessary to withdraw thepin t, rotate the frame 1' on the pivot s, and swing it downward, whenall the parts attached thereto will be exposed for that purpose; and, incase there is any danger of the arm falling into the hands of the enemy,the pin t may be removed while on the run, and the arm be renderedtemporarily completely useless bysimply'removingl from it the spring d',and concealing it, or by removing the pivot s; also, the whole of theparts attached to r may be removed, whereby considerable time would berequired to render it serviceable.

What I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, in a fire-arm, of the breech-block, having therecess h, of the frame r, carrying the tumbler, the needle, andoperating parts, whereby the action, as a whole, as constructed, may bereadily adjusted and rcmoved, as specified.

2. The combination, as shown and described, of the tumbler o, needle o,spring d', lever m, and breech-block c, for the purposes set forth anddescribed. I

3. The combination, with the trigger y, hav ing a forward projection, asshown, of a stop orlock, arranged to slide on and project through thetrigger-plate in front of the trigger-guard, as shown and described.

4. The mainspring d', detachable, connected with the frame r, andcombined therewith, and with a breech-loading fire-arm, substantially asshown, so as to be readily attached, or to be detached to render the armunserviceable, as set forth.

JOSEPH DUVAL.

Witnesses C. G. C. SIMPSON,

JAS. HY. REYNOLDS.

